


The Shards of Truth

by TheHood13



Series: Servants of Passion [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beach House, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Non-Explicit Sex, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:54:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28875993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHood13/pseuds/TheHood13
Summary: Oliver and Kara spend the remaining days of their vacation in Corto Maltese together, two strangers indulging in one another and savouring every exquisite moment. But they can only keep their secrets for so long…When things go wrong and their trip takes a turn for the worse, they both find themselves in a harrowing predicament: Reveal who they are, or lose each other forever.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen/Kara Zor-El
Series: Servants of Passion [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117616
Comments: 12
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The sequel to my one-shot called "Dreamy Desires". Enjoy!

In the past several months when Kara usually came to in the mornings, she hated it. Either her sleep would have been restless the previous night, or she’d wake up feeling just as tired and stressed as she did before she hit the bed. But not this morning. Instead, she felt rejuvenated, tranquil… content.

The pillow beneath her was pleasantly cushiony as she pressed her face into it. The sheets around her were cool and silky, conforming to her naked body. She heard the faint rustling of the waves and felt the gentle breeze coming from an open window hit her back. Her mind still nebulous, she quickly remembered where she was and what had happened the previous night. She leisurely opened her eyes, turning in bed and placing her arm where the body next to her should be. But Oliver wasn’t there, having woken up before her.

Her senses began to optimize, and she picked up on an aroma of grilled cheese coming from the kitchen. She rose out of bed, picking up her robe and bikini from the floor and putting the garments back on. She took a quick swig of the mouthwash in the bathroom before making her way to the kitchen, where Oliver was waiting for her.

Shirtless, she admired his extraordinarily toned and alluring body as he approached her with a smile.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Morning,” she replied, as she placed her hands around his shoulders while he put his around her lower back, leaning in for another succulent, impassioned kiss. Indulging, her super-senses became overridden and she pulled away before she got too excited.

“I made us breakfast,” he said.

“Thank you. Do you mind if I take a quick shower first?” she asked.

“No, not at all. Spare towels are under the basin,” he replied, as she broke away.

She joined him at the dining table as soon as she was done. There seemed to be nothing that Oliver could do wrong, as even the simple breakfast of toasted cheese was divinely scrumptious.

“So, last night, huh?” she said.

“Yeah, last night…” he repeated, grinning. “Last night was great, but I think I might’ve enjoyed the day a bit more.”

“Tough call for me,” replied Kara with a sly grin.

“You said you’d like to spend your last few days in Corto Maltese with me?”

“Yeah.”

“Does that mean you’re going to be staying here?”

“I don’t know, haven’t decided yet. I need to go back to my hotel, change into some clothes.”

“That’s a bummer. I’m going to miss seeing you around in a bikini,” joked Oliver. Kara rolled her eyes, and Oliver quickly spoke again. “Not that you won’t be any less beautiful in more modest dress.”

“Relax, Oliver. Chances are you’re going to see me without clothes again,” she said, as she stood up from the table.

“A man can only hope,” he said, as he put a hand out to touch her as she passed. She quickly turned around and grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“But you’re going to have to work for it,” she said, before letting go.

“Speaking from personal experience, I’d say the juice is worth the squeeze.”

Kara simply shook her head and smiled before placing her plate and glass by the sink. “Will you be able to take me back to my hotel?”

Oliver nodded. “When do you want to go?”

“Now, if possible.”

“Sure.”

Oliver went to his room to grab a helmet and his motorcycle keys. He handed Kara the helmet, much to her surprise.

“Billionaire heir and you don’t have a car?” she said, teasing him.

“I have plenty at home,” he replied defensively, “It’s just easier to get around Corto Maltese on a bike.”

Directly behind Oliver’s hut was a footpath that led to a small shed where he housed his motorcycle. Kara wasn’t surprised to see him own a sleek, exorbitant electric bike, although she did expect him to be a Ducati guy. There was little noise from the vehicle as Oliver started it up. Kara put the helmet on her head, even though she didn’t need it, and placed her hands around his waist as he set off.

She told him the address of the hotel, taking them 20 minutes to reach it. Oliver waited outside on his bike while she went to her room and changed, swapping her bikini for a black tank top and denim shorts.

“So where to next?” asked Oliver, as she hopped back on the bike.

“Let’s grab a coffee,” said Kara.

* * *

Oliver took her to a small café towards the outskirts of the main city on the island. Corto Maltese wasn’t all that large, but it was big enough to accommodate for locals, tourist resorts and lavish villas owned by one-percenters. The far-northern part of the island was where the richest stayed, such as Oliver, who even had ownership of a stretch of a beach. The small sign above the entrance read _“Joel’s. Est. 2002.”_ They were the only two customers.

“Ah, Oliver,” greeted the buff, bald man at the counter. Although the same height as Oliver, he had a far thicker, more muscular frame, and Kara wondered what this man was doing in a coffee shop when he looked like he could be earning millions in any sport of his choosing. Then again, his gruff, hoarse voice coupled with a partly grey beard told her that he was aged, perhaps too old to compete professionally.

“Muy Buenos, Joel,” replied Oliver. The two men conversed in Spanish.

“Normally you always come alone, but I see you’ve brought a beautiful lady today,” he replied. Kara was only conversational in Spanish, not fluent, but she picked up that Joel referred to her as a beautiful lady.

“A friend, only here for a few days,” replied Oliver. “Kara, Joel. Joel, Kara.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said in English, placing a hand on his chest and lowering his head out of respect.

“Likewise,” she replied.

“What would you like?” asked Oliver. Kara scanned the options on the chalkboard above. They didn’t have a pumpkin spice latte, her favourite, so she opted for a cappuccino instead.

“A cappuccino.”

“Dos cappuccino,” added Oliver, as he handed Joel money. “Gracias.”

“Always a pleasure, my friend,” he replied in English, before reverting to Spanish for his following question. “Are you sure she’s just a friend?” he asked.

“Tan seguro como tú eres un anciano.” As surely as you are an old man, replied Oliver.

“49. No demasiado viejo.” Not too old, replied Joel with a smile.

Oliver chuckled before taking a seat with Kara at a table.

“What were you guys saying at the end there?” asked Kara, having not understood all of it.

“Oh, nothing,” replied Oliver dismissively.

“You and Joel seem to be good pals,” noted Kara, “You must come here quite a lot.”

“Occasionally. I’d come here when I wanted to get out of my place. Just sit here, watch people walk by, and think about what’s waiting for me when I return home.”

On the outskirts of the city, this area was less busy than the city center and slightly more tranquil.

“He doesn’t sound like a local,” said Kara, having picked up on his slight differences in dialect and accent.

“Yeah, he’s Cuban. He told me a bit about his life story. Former boxer,” explained Oliver, “Cuban Olympic team in 1988, turned pro after. He has family that work here, so he moved here after he retired and opened up this place.”

“Did he win a medal or any championships?” Oliver shook his head. “Isn’t that a bit sad?” said Kara, “Years of fighting and competing, and this small place is all he has to show for it."

“He looks happy. I suppose that’s all that matters,” replied Oliver, as he watched Joel exchange banter with his employees, laughing and smiling as he brought Oliver and Kara their drinks.

“Enjoy,” he said as he handed them their mugs.

As they sat at their table outside, Oliver watched Kara intently observe an orange stray cat loiter on the sidewalk next to them.

“You like cats?” he asked.

“Yeah, I had one when I was a kid back in Midvale. A tabby, just like this one,” she explained, “I named him Streaky. Do you have any cats?”

“No. No pets at the mansion,” replied Oliver. “Thea did bring home a stray one day, but we couldn’t keep it. She didn’t want to let it go, so my father told her that it was actually a tiger cub, and that it needed to be set free.”

“That excuse worked?”

“Yeah, she was only 7 at the time, so it did. She still feeds the strays around the mansion to this day.”

Oliver’s phone buzzed, and she saw that it was a message from Tommy. He put his phone back in his pocket, deciding to reply to it later.

* * *

They spent the rest of their day exploring the island, having lunch at a local restaurant before simply wandering around as any other tourists would. After dinner, Oliver dropped Kara by her hotel, walking her right to the entrance.

“Thanks for another great day,” said Kara.

“Yeah, I enjoyed it. But… I think we can still make it even better,” replied Oliver suggestively.

Kara stepped closer to him with a sly smile. “I told you that you were going to have to work for it.”

“Did I do enough work?”

Kara gently ran her hand down his arm and edged her face closer to his ever so slowly, goading Oliver into thinking that she was going to give him the answer that he was looking for. But just as her lips were close enough to brush his, she spoke. “No.”

She pulled away, smiling deviously. “I’ll meet you at Joel’s tomorrow morning, 10:30,” she said.

“Alright. See you tomorrow,” he replied as she entered her hotel. As Oliver walked back to his bike, he couldn’t help but grin. “Pleasure delayer,” he muttered under his breath, before speeding back off to his hut.


	2. Chapter 2

After coffee in the morning and another day well spent together, they returned to Oliver’s hut just before sunset. Looking to pass some time before dinner, Kara moved to the dartboard that was hung on one of the walls and decided to have a go. She retrieved the darts from the board and began throwing.

Aiming for the bullseye, she was hopelessly off-target with all of her throws, with one dart even barely hitting the board. Oliver noticed this, and walked over.

“I’ve never been good at this,” said Kara.

“Here,” said Oliver, as he retrieved the darts and threw them himself. Each throw followed the other swiftly, without hesitation, and Kara watched in amazement as all three darts hit the bullseye.

“Oh, come on, that’s not fair,” she said, exasperated. “How are you so good at this?”

“Uhh… just been doing this since I was a kid,” replied Oliver, not wanting to tell her that his proficiency actually came from his past three years of flechette and knife throwing. “It’s okay, I’ll teach you.”

He retrieved the darts and handed them to Kara. He stood behind her, adjusting her stance and hand positioning before pulling her body a little closer to his. “Think of your elbow as a lever,” he said softly, right next to her ear. “Don’t spring your whole arm. Bend at the elbow, and propel your forearm forward, gently. It’s not really a throw, more of a release.”

“Like throwing a paper airplane?”

“Exactly.”

Kara adhered to his advice, and attempted again. She didn’t hit the bullseye for her first and second attempts, but the grouping was much better. She managed to hit the bullseye on her third throw.

“Bullseye,” whispered Oliver. She turned to look at him.

“You’re a good teacher,” she said, before stepping away and going to the kitchen. She knew exactly what he was doing by standing right behind her and holding her body. It was a move that guys had tried on her with a pool cue in the past, and it never worked.

Her phone began ringing and it was a call from Alex. “It’s my sister,” she said, before stepping into Oliver’s room and closing the door behind her.

* * *

“Alex,” she said, as she answered.

_“Kara, how are you? Is everything okay?”_

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”

_“I’m just wondering. You haven’t replied to my messages for the past two days.”_

“Sorry, I’ve just been kind of busy.”

_“Enjoying yourself?”_

“Yeah, a lot. I, uhh… I’ve actually met a guy here.”

_“What? You’re joking, right?”_

“No, I’m being serious. We’ve spent the past two days together.”

_“What’s his name?”_

“Oliver. He’s pretty cool. I’ll tell you all about him when I get back.”

_“You better.”_

“I promise. Okay, I have to go. I’m about to have dinner.”

_“With Oliver?”_

“Yes, with Oliver.”

_“Alright, have fun. Love you, sis.”_

“I love you too,” said Kara, before hanging up.

* * *

After dinner, Kara hung around for a bit longer. It was now 20:37, and she was starting to wonder if it was time for her to return to her hotel. She downed the last of her drink before standing up from her seat on the porch to discard the bottle in the kitchen bin. On her way back, she saw Oliver rise from his seat and enter.

“It’s getting late,” she said, “I think I should head back to my hotel.”

“You’re not going to stay?” he asked, as he approached her.

“I might if you give me a reason to,” she replied with a grin.

“I can think of one,” he replied, as he slid his hand around her waist and gently pulled her close. “Tell me, what are you going to do back at your hotel?”

“Maybe text my sister, then go to sleep.”

“A little boring, don’t you think? But if you stay here…” he said, bringing one hand up to her face, and softly outlining her lips with his fingers. “You’re going to have a whole lot more fun,” he added, his husky voice rife with carnal desire.

His voice, his body, his very scent, everything about this man aroused Kara to a level which she never even thought was possible until she met him. He had this ability to overpower her senses, and while she controlled herself the previous night, she couldn’t now as she crashed her lips on to his.

Despite having had far more sexual partners in his lifetime, Oliver felt the very same about Kara. No woman had ever managed to channel as much raw sexual energy from him as she did. Her subtle moans as their lips tangled and the way that her body moved with his, it all sent a tingling, electric sensation through his nervous system.

They found themselves on the bed just a few seconds later, and it was Kara this time who pushed him onto the bed, doing so a little harder than she intended. She took a moment to attempt to calm herself and bring her powers under control, before climbing atop him. Their lips met again for more scintillating play, each shedding a piece of clothing until they were bare while continuing their enthusiastic foreplay.

Crazed by one another, every action was sensually thrilling as they indulged, satisfying each other to an even greater extent than the previous night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this fluffy chapter, because things get a bit rocky from here on out ;)

Time flew for Oliver and Kara, and it was now their final night in Corto Maltese together. They lived the past three days to the fullest, making the most of every moment. It mattered not what they did together, whether they swam in the ocean, made love in the bedroom or just sat together on the porch in silence and watched the sunset, they thoroughly enjoyed every second with one another. For these past three days, it felt as if life was perfect.

Even up until this point on their final night together, they both avoided the conversation of what would happen once their time here came to an end.

All reason and logic told them that they were simply infatuated with one another. That they were just two strangers finding intense but temporary pleasure in one another. But when they weren’t having spectacular, unforgettable sex, they felt as if they were starting to develop feelings for each other, beginning to form a very real and intimate bond. The more time they spent together, the more they wondered if perhaps there could be something more meaningful between them.

They lived in different cities, but in neighbouring states, so seeing each other regularly would still be possible. The long-distance nature of a future relationship was by far the easiest obstacle to overcome. It was everything else, everything that they’d kept hidden that was the most unsettling. The dire secrets planting the thought that they could never be anything more than what they were right now.

For Oliver, he knew that couldn’t be with her for the same reasons that he couldn’t be with anyone else. The mission.

He returned to Star City with the goal of saving it. He had tried to do it without the hood at first, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Star City needed a vigilante, someone who wasn’t part of the very system that was causing it to decay. It needed _him_. But that came at a cost, and that cost was any chance of a normal life. Perhaps Kara was best off being a fling here on Corto Maltese. Simply a fond memory that he’d reminisce about until the day he dies.

For Kara, the fact that she’s a Kryptonian and Superman’s cousin could only be hid for so long. It took every fiber of her being to make sure that she didn’t hurt Oliver in bed, but as always, it was only a matter of time before she’d lose control and hurt him. The fact that Clark and Lois found a way to make their relationship work was the only ray of light that gave Kara hope that something could work between her and Oliver. But even then, she too had a mission.

Clark, Alex and Eliza had dissuaded her from using her powers up until this point, but she wanted to be a hero too. The world could definitely use more heroes, and Clark needed someone to take some weight off of his shoulders. As much as they didn’t want her to, with Clark telling her countless times about the risks and sacrifices that come with being a hero, those were sacrifices she was willing to make. And if one of those sacrifices was to never see Oliver Queen ever again after tonight, then so be it.

With the sun having set, her and Oliver laid down outside his hut on the sand, stargazing. Due to little light pollution, the clear sky was littered with celestial bodies.

“I haven’t seen a sky like this since I was a child,” said Kara.

“I never did until I was 24,” replied Oliver.

“When you got to the island?” she asked.

“Yeah. As weird as this may sound, I sometimes miss being there.”

“What do you miss?” she asked.

“Being away from everything. No expectations, no weight on my shoulders. Sometimes, I just felt… free. And I occasionally feel the same here. It’s probably one of the reasons why I still haven’t gone home yet.”

“If you could just stay here forever, would you?”

“As much as I’d like to, I can’t. I have… a lot of things to do when I get home. Things that I can’t run away from or avoid like how I did in the past. The island changed me.”

“For better or for worse?”

Oliver contemplated for several seconds before replying honestly. “I don’t know. I left a part of myself there that I don’t think I’ll ever get back. It’s like I’m tethered to a place that… Not that I don’t belong there, but that I simply can’t be there anymore. Do you know what that feels like?”

Kara looked closer at the stars, singling out the constellation where Krypton used to be. On this sky, she could even make out Rao.

“Yeah… I do,” she replied.

“To where?” he asked.

“Home,” replied Kara, ambiguously. Oliver could sense from the sorrow in her voice that it was an emotionally distressing topic for her, so he didn’t press further on what she meant. He laid in silence with her for several minutes.

“This is a lovely view,” he eventually said, before turning and perching himself up on arm to look at Kara, “But as not as lovely as this one.”

Kara blushed. “Stop it,” she said, turning her head away.

“I mean it,” replied Oliver. The full moon provided enough light for him to see all of her elegant beauty clearly. The glowing blonde hair, the shy smile, her exquisite body, all of which had become his weakness in the past few days. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one better. I don’t even think it can get better.”

“Not even me without my clothes on?” asked Kara.

“Not even,” replied Oliver. He shifted his body closer to hers, bringing his lips to her neck, “Although… that would still be a great bonus,” he whispered, as he began kissing.

Kara’s body became flushed with heat once again, increasing more and more as his hand gently trailed down her abdomen, sliding under her shorts. He began stroking, causing her breathing to hasten and her heart rate to increase.

“Right here on the beach?” she asked, as she caught her breath in between Oliver’s caresses.

“Nobody’s going to interrupt us,” he replied.

“I know, but your bed is pretty comfortable.”

“As you wish,” he said, as he sprung up and lifted her off the ground bridal-style, giggling with her as he carried her to his bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

After making love for the third and final time, they laid together in bed, both thinking about the future, but neither willing to speak up about it. Kara rested her head on his chest, tracing the outline of abs with her hand. Eventually, she mustered enough to courage to talk about the elephant in the room.

“I go back to National City tomorrow,” she said.

“What if you extended your trip?”

“I can’t.”

“I’m sure if you asked Ms Grant nicely, she’d extend your leave.”

“Oliver, we can’t keep running from this,” she said earnestly, “We’re eventually going to have to go home. What happens to us when we do?”

“We go our separate ways,” replied Oliver, bluntly, yet woefully. “Never seeing each other again.”

Kara was taken aback. “Never?”

“We’re living in a fantasy right now, Kara. We would never work in reality.”

“Don’t you want to try at least? Are you willing to live the rest of your life wondering if this could’ve been something more?”

Oliver sighed deeply before answering. “Yes… I know how our story would end, and it’s only in heartbreak and pain.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because I’m not the man that you think I am.”

Oliver leaned over, kissing her on the forehead before getting out of bed.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”

He got dressed before exiting his room, closing the door behind him. He moved to the bar, scanning his collection of drinks. He opted for the Russian vodka instead of Australian Reuther Rum, pouring half a glass for himself before downing it in one go. He had to stop himself from slamming the glass down out of frustration. He hadn’t lied to Kara about how he felt. He really could live with this being the last that he’d see of her, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t wish things could be different.

As much he wanted to, he couldn’t allow himself to see her ever again once she left. The more time they spent together, the stronger their feelings became, and that was something he just couldn’t afford to happen right now.

Suddenly, he sensed someone outside of his hut. His sharp hearing picked up on footsteps outside of the door, and while it could simply be lost tourists or locals, Oliver was still on high alert. He moved to the kitchen, placing his glass on the counter just as the door opened.

In stepped a tall, rugged man. An American. “Good evening, sir,” he said, with a broad grin and smug arrogance.

Oliver could immediately tell from his demeanour that he was up to no good. “Who are you?”

“My name is Otis Graves. I’m here for the girl.”

Oliver’s gut sunk. “There is no girl here.”

“Really? Well, that’s funny,” he said, acting surprised until he pulled out some sort of a GPS device from his pocket and held it up to show the screen to Oliver. A large yellow dot stood out on the map, its location right where Oliver’s hut is.

“Listen here, pretty boy,” continued Graves, “Hand her over nicely and I’ll let you live. Then you can just forget all this happened, and continue sipping on mojitos and living the good life. Or, I’ll just put a bullet in your brain and then forcefully take her.”

“Like I said, there is no girl here, and if you don’t leave right this second, Mr Graves, I’m going to make you leave,” replied Oliver sternly.

“Oh, Pretty Boy thinks he can fight. As much I’d love to whoop your ass all over this nice place, I’m afraid I ain’t got time for that.”

Oliver hadn’t just stepped into the kitchen to place his glass by the sink. It was a tactical move, as right in front of him on the counter were several of his kitchen knives. If Graves was to even think about raising a gun, Oliver would send a blade through his throat before his hand could even reach his holster.

“Come on in boys,” said Graves, “Search the place.”

Five more men came in, each heavily armed with assault rifles and body armour. Oliver glanced down at the knives in front of him. He only had four…

“There is no girl here,” repeated Oliver with more vigour, but just as he did, the bedroom door opened and Kara stepped out, causing Oliver to grimace.

“What’s going on?” she asked, concerned at the sight of the armed men in the hut.

“Oh, there you are, Miss Zor-El,” said Graves enthusiastically.

Kara’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m not a Miss Zor-El, I’m Kara Danvers,” she replied in vain. Knowing that this was eventually going to get ugly, Oliver discreetly slid the knives into his pockets before stepping in front of Kara.

“So that’s the name you go by. Lex will appreciate that bit of info.”

“You clearly have the wrong person,” repeated Oliver. “Leave now, and we won’t say anything to the authorities.”

“You’re getting on my nerves, Pretty Boy,” said Graves. He turned to one of the men next to him, “Shoot him.”

With the man’s weapon already raised, the gun fired before Oliver had time to reach for a knife.

It all occurred in slow motion for Kara. She had to make a choice now. Let Oliver die, or save him and give up her secret in the process. It was a no-brainer for her. She pulled Oliver back, stepping in front of him as she raised her left hand to catch the bullet that was now travelling towards her.

But she didn’t…

By the time she realized that the tip of the bullet was green, it was already too late. It ripped through her hand before embedding itself in the left side of her chest. Slumping to the floor, the kryptonite already began to poison her as she suddenly found it hard to bring air to her lungs. She began choking and gasping.

Oliver had no idea how she’d managed to move in front of him so fast. “Kara!” he exclaimed, kneeling next to her. He frowned, shocked at how her veins were now glowing green. “What the hell have you done to her?!” he screamed at Graves.

“You really have no idea who she is, do you?” asked Graves, mocking him.

Seeing Kara hurt and in pain sparked a very primal rage in Oliver. There was no way that he was going to let them leave with her. “You’ve just made a very serious mistake,” he growled.

He swiftly pulled out a knife before thrusting it towards Graves. It penetrated his throat, his body dropping to the floor quickly. The remaining three knives were thrown in less than a second, taking out three of the other men. Oliver leapt forward as he threw them, now close enough that the remaining two men didn’t have enough space to fire their weapons at him. He initiated a fist fight.

The indescribable pain surging through Kara’s entire body diminished her senses, but she still had sufficient vision to see Oliver fighting. First watching him propel knives into throats, she now watched as he engaged the remaining two men. He fought with extraordinary skill, avoiding their strikes while landing his own. But not just with skill. With ruthless brutality. Frightening aggression.

She’d stay immobilized if the bullet remained in her chest. Her only chance to recover would be to take it out. She brought her uninjured hand up to her chest, wailing as she reached in to the wound. She almost lost consciousness from the horrifying pain and grotesque feeling of her fingers digging into her own flesh. They wiggled around, eventually finding the bullet and pulling it out. With her little strength, she threw it as far away from her body as she could. She rose to her feet after a few seconds, having regained some strength.

Oliver had already took out one of the mercenaries. Only one remained in front of him now. They put up a good fight, but he was far too skilled and slick for them as he spun around the man, wrapping his arm over his neck and pulling him down.

“Oliver,” said Kara meekly.

But his arms had already tensed, and the snap of the man’s neck was sickeningly loud before Oliver let his lifeless body drop to the floor. He turned to face Kara, dejected from the petrified look on her face.

“I’m sorry, Kara. I told you that I’m not who you think I am.”

A body rose from behind Oliver, and Kara spotted a pistol in the man’s hand.

Oliver heard his movements, spinning around and reflexively ducking to avoid any bullets. With Oliver out of the way, Kara saw her opportunity and blasted her heat vision into his chest. Weakened, it only burnt him, but it caused enough pain for him to drop the pistol and stumble back. Oliver quickly picked up the pistol, firing a single shot into his head, killing him.

Bewildered at what he’d just seen, he turned back to face Kara, her eyes still glowing blue before reverting to normal.

“Neither am I,” she said. Shocked beyond belief, Oliver could only stare at her, unable to propel any words out of his mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

It took only a few seconds for Oliver to come to terms with what he’d just seen, as he quickly knelt to the floor and detached a tactical waist belt from the mercenary closest to him. The belt had several extra magazines and a holster, so Oliver wrapped it around himself before placing the pistol in the holster and pulling his shirt over, disguising it. Still weakened, Kara sat down on one of the dining table chairs.

“We have to get out of here,” he said, running to the bedroom.

“How did they find me?” asked Kara.

“They had some kind of a tracking GPS,” said Oliver, returning from his room with a small towel, a jacket and a bandage. He grabbed Kara’s hand, wrapping the bandage around the hole which the bullet had created.

“Keep pressure on your chest with this towel,” he said, “Put the jacket on to hide it.”

She adhered to his instructions before getting up with his help. Just before they exited the hut, she knelt down and grabbed the GPS device. Moving hastily to the shed where his bike was kept and driving away at full speed, they reached her hotel in less than 10 minutes. He gently took her good hand in his as they entered the reception area.

“Just act normal,” he whispered before giving a warm smile to the receptionist on duty.

She directed him to her room, with Oliver immediately closing the door behind him and locking it upon entering. He also locked her balcony door before closing the curtains.

“We should be safe here for now,” he said.

Kara groaned as she took a seat on the bed, removing her hand from her chest and discarding the bloodied towel. She looked at both of her hands, disturbed by the sight of them being covered in blood. Oliver pulled a chair from the desk in the room, placing it in front of Kara and groaning too as he sat down.

“Let me see,” he said, opening the small suture kit he’d brought with. Kara unzipped the jacket, with Oliver helping her take it and her top off. The wound was below her left collarbone. Blood trailed down from it right to her belly, initially concerning Oliver. However, he was astounded to see that the bullet hole was already beginning to heal.

“You look like you’re going to be fine, no stitches needed,” he said, “Take a shower and get all this blood off you. You’ll feel better.”

“Oliver,” she said, meeting his eyes, “How do you know how to do all of this? Who are you really?”

“I suppose I could be asking you the same thing,” he replied. Kara had no response, as she simply stood up, grabbed some fresh clothes and entered the bathroom.

* * *

“Спасибо, Anatoly. До свидания.”

While Kara was in the shower, Oliver made a call to Anatoly, asking if he had any contacts in Corto Maltese who could dispose of the bodies and sanitise Oliver’s place before sunrise. Luckily, he did. He also made a call to Diggle, explaining the situation and telling him to charter a private jet to pick him and Kara up. A 10-hour flight from Star City, it would only arrive in the morning.

As soon as he hung up, the burning sensation on the left side of his abdomen intensified. He looked down, spotting the now large bloodstain on his dark grey t-shirt. One of the mercenaries had stabbed him during their fight, and he had managed to fight through the pain until now. Removing his shirt and unclipping the tactical belt, he sat down on the chair before grabbing his suture kit.

While he was no stranger to stitching wounds, this one was in an odd place as he struggled to seal it properly. He was halfway through the stitching when Kara exited from the bathroom, immediately rushing over with concern in her voice. “Oliver...”

“Don’t worry about me,” he replied, trying to downplay the severity of his agony.

“I’ll heal, Oliver. You won’t. Let me help.”

Oliver raised his eyebrows. “You know how to stitch a wound?”

“My sister is a doctor. She showed me how to do this in case of an emergency.”

Initially reluctant, Oliver let her take the needle as she took a seat on the bed opposite him.

“In case your hook-up ever got stabbed?” he said, attempting a joke.

“You’re not just a hook-up,” replied Kara sternly.

“What am I then?”

Kara remained silent, not having the word to describe what she felt for him. Although she threaded the needle carefully, suturing was never a painless process, and Oliver decided to talk to distract himself from the pain.

“You alright?” he asked.

“Depends on what your definition of ‘alright’ is,” she replied. Oliver peered to her left hand. The bandage was removed and that wound was starting to close up as well.

“I’m sorry you had to see me do that,” he said, apologizing for his brutal killing of Graves and his men.

“You saved my life. That’s all that matters.”

“I still owe you an explanation.”

“So do I. Done,” she said, having sealed the wound. She wiped her hands with the towel she brought from the bathroom before handing it to Oliver so he could wipe his hands too.

“Thank you.” Both the jacket and shirt of his were still wet with blood, so he didn’t put them back on yet. “Miss Zor-El?” he asked.

“Kara Zor-El. That’s my real name. I’m… I’m Superman’s cousin.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “Wow.”

“I got hit with a kryptonite bullet. I’m feeling better now and I’m healing, but I might still be weak until the sun comes up. It’s what gives me and my cousin our powers.”

“Who were those guys?” asked Oliver.

“They worked for Lex Luthor. He probably wanted to get to my cousin through me,” replied Kara.

She grabbed the GPS device, playing with the buttons to see how it worked. “They tracked me through one of my solar energy spikes, but I haven’t used my powers at all recently.”

She thought more about what could have caused her energy to increase to such a high, trackable level. “Maybe when I… when I…”

“Orgasmed.” Oliver said it for her.

“Right,” she said, slightly embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, I take that as a compliment,” joked Oliver, managing to get her to smile.

“Your turn,” she said after a moment, causing Oliver to sigh. “Let me guess. The island?”

“I wasn’t alone there,” began Oliver, “There were some very bad people. A few good ones too, and they were the ones who taught me how to fight. I can’t even remember all of the times I nearly died there. In order to survive, I had to… do some horrible things.”

“This is what you were talking about when you said that the island changed you.”

“Partly. It also made me realise the errors in my past ways. It showed me the person that I needed to be and what I needed to do as soon as I returned home.”

Sensing a deeper meaning to his words, Kara inquired further. “What do you mean by that?” she asked.

Oliver didn’t know how to put it into words, instead grabbing his phone and opening the web browser. He handed the phone to Kara after making a search, and she was left speechless by the several news headlines displaying on the screen.

_‘Star City businessman, Adam Hunt, targeted by vigilante.’_

_‘Modern day Robin Hood? Mysterious archer targeting corrupt businessmen and politicians.”_

_‘Star City police say they’re doing everything they can to bring The Hood to justice.’_

“You’re… you’re him?”

He nodded while Kara shook her head in disbelief. It all made sense to her now, and she scolded herself for not putting it together sooner. The fighting skill, The Hood appearing just as Oliver returned from the island and the bow hung in his bedroom which he’d so nonchalantly lied about, saying that it was merely a decoration.

“You can’t be serious,” she said.

“Star City is dying, Kara. It is being poisoned by a criminal elite who don't care who they hurt, as long as they maintain their wealth and power. The police don’t have what it takes to stop them.”

“But you do? Oliver, you’re not like my cousin. He has these powers that allow him to do what he does. You’re just a human. You can get seriously hurt or worse.”

“Do you feel that same way about your cousin’s friend over in Gotham?” asked Oliver.

Kara turned her head away. “That’s different.”

“How’s it any different?”

Kara’s head snapped back to face him. “Because I don’t care about him!” she exclaimed, her gaze meeting his, “But I do care about you.”

Silence lingered for a few seconds before Oliver spoke up. “You have all these powers, yet you’re not out there like your cousin. I don’t know why, but what I do know is that you wish you were. I can see it in your eyes. It bothers you more and more each and every passing day that you’re not out there helping people and saving lives when you could be. You might be able to live with that feeling, but I can’t. I can’t sit by idly while knowing that I could be making a difference. I’m sorry, Kara. This is something that I just have to do.”

As much as Kara was worried for his safety, she knew that she couldn’t be a hypocrite and say that he didn’t have the right to be a hero. She’d seen him fight and he definitely had the skills to be one. He also came from a wealthy family, which would allow him to access whatever resources he’d need for his crusade. He was wrong only about one thing, and that was him saying that she could live with the feeling of not being out there. She couldn’t. Not anymore at least.

“I need to make a call to my cousin, let him know that Luthor is after me.”

“Sure.” Oliver reached in his pocket for her phone and handed it to her, having grabbed it before leaving the hut. He stepped away, putting his shirt back on and re-clipping the tactical belt around his waist while he listened to Kara’s conversation. She became frustrated as he didn’t pick up the first two times, but someone answered the third call.

“Lois, sorry, I really need to speak to Clark. I’ve been attacked by Otis Graves, one of Lex Luthor’s men… Clark, hey, sorry for disturbing you so late… They tracked me here to Corto Maltese, they were trying to kidnap me… They shot me with a kryptonite bullet but I’ve recovered now… I’m in my hotel. I was with a, uhh… friend, he took them out and helped me escape… They’re dead now, but there might be more men here… Alright, thank you.” She hung up.

“He’s on his way, he should be here soon,” said Kara, turning to Oliver.

Oliver nodded. It took a few seconds for her words to sink in, and Oliver began chuckling to himself.

“What is it?” asked Kara.

“Of all the ways I expected our final night in Corto Maltese to end, I never thought it would end with me meeting Superman,” he replied, drawing a giggle from her.


	6. Chapter 6

A half hour after Kara’s call to Clark, there was a knock on the door. Kara stood up from the bed to take a peak, but Oliver quickly stepped in front of her, drawing his pistol.

“It’s him,” said Kara, having already identified Clark with her x-ray vision.

Oliver, still cautious, placed the pistol against the door as he looked through the eye hole. He let out a sigh of relief for she was right. Kara had shown Oliver pictures of him, and he looked exactly the same as in the photos right now. Nerdy glasses, neat hair and dressed in a basic shirt with jeans. Oliver unlocked the door and opened it, immediately being met with an astonished look from Clark.

“Where is she?” he asked. Oliver immediately stepped aside to let him enter before closing the door and locking it again. “Kara,” said Clark, embracing her.

“Don’t squeeze too hard,” she groaned, as she let go and pulled a strap of her tank top to the side to show the wound.

“It should’ve closed up by now,” he said, as he sat her on the bed and opened the briefcase he’d brought, revealing a yellow sun lamp. He placed it next to her and switched it on before sitting on the chair opposite her and taking a closer look.

“Did you remove the bullet?” he asked, turning to Oliver.

“No, I pulled it out myself,” said Kara.

“There’s still some kryptonite fragments in the wound. That’s why it’s not healing quickly," said Clark.

“Should I be worried about that?” asked Kara.

“No, it’s too small of an amount to have any lasting effects. You just need time under the sun lamp… When you told me that you had a friend here, I didn’t think that you meant Oliver Queen.”

Kara nervously smiled. “Yeah, we actually just met here a few days ago. He was with me when Graves and his men attacked.”

Clark turned to his right to face Oliver. “Kara told me you took them out.”

“Yeah, yeah, I did,” replied Oliver, gulping.

“How does a playboy manage to put up a fight against six highly trained mercenaries?” inquired Clark, staring a hole through Oliver.

“Uhh… Yeah, I’ve been doing Krav Maga and Muay Thai for the past few months. Kara also managed to take some of them out with her powers before she got hit. I just picked up one of their guns, shot the one guy left and then brought her here.”

“Sure,” replied Clark, sceptical of the story.

“Did you fly over the island to see if there were any more of them?” asked Kara.

“Yeah. I didn’t see anybody, but more might be on the way. How did they track you? Do they know your identity?” asked Clark.

“No, they tracked me with this,” she replied, handing him the GPS. “It picked up on one of my energy spikes.”

“Kara, you know that you shouldn’t be using your powers,” he replied, inspecting the GPS.

“I wasn’t,” replied Kara defensively, confusing Clark.

“Then how could your…”

Kara began to unconvincingly ramble. “No, I mean I was, but it wasn’t… I actually wasn’t really…”

Clark remembered that Oliver was standing to his right, immediately putting two and two together and grimacing. “Okay, okay, I don’t need to know the details.”

Oliver and Kara both cringed out of embarrassment, feeling like two teenagers who had just been caught by their parents.

Clark continued. “Look, just rest and stay under the sun lamp. You can’t get on your flight tomorrow, it’s too risky.”

“I’ve already made arrangements to bring one of my family’s private jets. I figured it would be safer,” interjected Oliver.

“Good. If they can track you, they can track me. Don’t do anything that can spike your energy levels, I’ll go to the other side of the island in case any others show up to draw them away. If you need me, just say so. I’ll hear you. You should be back to full strength by morning,” said Clark.

“Thanks,” said Kara, gratefully. Clark pulled her in for a gentler hug this time, before standing up and heading for the door. He gestured with his head for Oliver to follow him outside.

He spoke as soon as they were outside. “Thank you for saving her life,” he said sincerely.

“I was just doing the right thing,” replied Oliver.

“I know… Listen, I don’t buy your story for one second. No trust fund frat boy would be handling this as well as you, let alone be able to fight off and kill several mercenaries. I know _exactly_ who you are. Does she know?”

Oliver nodded.

“You know our identities now, but at least I know that you’re good at keeping secrets. You seem like a decent guy, Oliver, but this life that you’re choosing, I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Trust me, I know,” replied Oliver.

“Only time will tell if you do. I know that you can’t be talked out of it, so all I’m going to say is that you need to be careful. I’d hate to see something happen to you, for yours and Kara’s sake.”

“I don’t plan on dying out there.”

“That’s the thing, Oliver. Not everything goes according to plan... Once again, thank you,” said Clark, offering a hand to Oliver. Oliver shook his hand, doing his best not to wince as Clark squeezed his hand tight on purpose. Clark left while Oliver returned to his room, being met with a broad grin from Kara upon entering.

“What?” asked Oliver.

“You’re so intimidated by him,” she said.

“No, I’m not,” replied Oliver dismissively.

“Puffing out your chest, lowering your gaze, I never thought I’d ever see you so... timid.”

“Okay, maybe a little. It’s Superman, after all,” said Oliver, smirking. “You’ve had a rough night. Get some sleep,” he said.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m going to keep an eye out,” he said. He moved to the curtains, slightly pushing one aside to take a look outside while Kara changed into pyjamas and slid under the duvet of her bed. After several seconds of silence, she spoke.

“This changes things between us,” she said.

“Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

“Will I ever see you again after tomorrow?”

Oliver took a deep breath. “We’ll see,” he said, “We’ll see,” he repeated with a more hopeful tone, as he turned to look at Kara. He gave her a small, but warm smile, one which she reciprocated before they both turned away.

As Kara tried to drift off to sleep and Oliver kept watch, both wondered about the uncertainty of their future. When they’d see each other again, if they would. If they did, what would the extent of their relationship be? While unsure about the answers to these questions, they remained hopeful that the answers would be the ones that they wanted. Only time would tell if they could be something more, something real, but for some unexplainable reason, they both had a strange, calming feeling that they were going to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, the basis of a third story would be a following of Oliver and Kara in their early days as heroes, à la a combination of Arrow S1 and Supergirl S1, but with differences from the shows, of course. Honestly though, I'm not too sure that I'll pick it up soon (if I do), given that it will be a massive undertaking (Arrow S1 pun intended). We'll see what happens :)


End file.
